Hyperactivity Disorders in Children

Hyperactivity disorder is a subset of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD. This neurobiological disorder is diagnosed in childhood, but a percentage of those with ADHD will continue to have symptoms into adulthood.

Definition

• A diagnosis of ADHD requires that specific criteria must be met. This ensures that typical childhood behaviors are ruled out. The symptoms must be present before the age of seven and the behaviors must have been evident for at least six months. Since all children can be hyperactive and inattentive, the child with ADHD must exhibit behaviors that are more frequent and severe than typical children of the same age.

  Another key criterion is that the behaviors must result in a significant disruption in functioning in more than one environment. There are three different subtypes, hyperactive-impulsive, inattentive and combined. The combined subtype includes children with symptoms that meet the criteria for both the hyperactive and inattentive subtypes.

Hyperactive-Impulsive Subtype

• Children who are diagnosed as primarily hyperactive must have six of the following behaviors: can't sit still; often leaves his seat; is restless and runs around more than others his age; doesn't like quiet activities; seems to be constantly active and on-the-go; doesn't wait for the question to be asked before blurting out an answer, struggles to wait or take turns; interrupts others and talks excessively. Additionally, the child with hyperactive subtype must meet fewer than six of the inattentive behaviors.

Inattentive Subtype

• The behaviors that indicate the inattentive subtype of ADHD are: The child is not good with details; has great difficulty sustaining attention; fails to listen; doesn't follow through to complete tasks; often loses things (aren't good at organization), is easily distracted, forgetful, and avoids or really doesn't like any activity that requires sustained mental effort. To be primarily diagnosed in this category, six of the inattentive criteria must be met while fewer than six of the hyperactive subtype are present.

Environments

• The symptoms of either subtype must be seen in more than one environment for a diagnosis of ADHD to be considered. The classroom, playground, home, community and other social settings are the areas that are considered. If the behaviors are only evident in one area, then the cause may be something other than ADHD. For example, a child who only exhibits hyperactivity at home may be letting off steam from the pressures of school. If the only area impacted is school work, then the child may have a learning disability rather than ADHD. Significant impairment in school work and friendships are key indicators.

Treatment

• Treatment for children with ADHD may include medications to alleviate the symptoms and counseling. Counseling is critical to the process because it teaches about the disorder and gives the child, is family and teachers strategies for managing behaviors. However, medication, which can be a stimulant or non-stimulant medication, may be necessary to enable the child to remain still and pay attention long enough for therapy to be successful. Additionally, special accommodations to create a successful school environment and community supports should be considered. Treatment for children with ADHD requires a team approach, so medical professionals, parents, educators and other caregivers should be included in the process.